Electrical relay



Nov. 19, 1957- v, KLEIN 2,813,949

ELECTRICAL RELAY Filed Feb. 10, 1956 FIGZ. 9 H64.

I M l 15 United States Patent ELECTRICAL RELAY Victor G. Klein,Defiance, Mo., assignor to The McNeil Machine & Engineering Company(Ohio), Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 10,1956, Serial No. 564,739

9 Claims. (Cl. 200-105) This invention relates to electrical relays, andwith regard to certain more specific features, to so-called stepby-stepcounting or notching relays.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision ofa relay of the class described having a compact and low-costconstruction adapted upon predeterminately repeated signals in onecircuit to effect incomplete contact actuation in another circuit andthen upon a single additional repetition of said signal to complete thecontact closure in said other circuit and reopen the contacts. Otherobjects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which willbe exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope ofwhich will be indicated in the following claims.

In the following drawings, in which several of various possibleembodiments of the invention are illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a relay embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,showing one position of the parts;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a subsequent position ofparts;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing another sub-. sequentposition of parts; and,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section taken on lines 66 of Figs. 2 and 3.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, numeral 1 indicates achannel-shaped base having a top 3 and sides 5 and 7. Extendinglaterally from side 5 is an ear 9 having openings 11 for mountingpurposes. An insulation sheet 13 is located on the underside of the top3 and a second insulation sheet 15 on its upper side. At

one end of the base 1 is a terminal 17 located below the insulator 13.At this same end of the relay is also a conducting strip 19 locatedabove the insulation sheet 15. Conductive rivets 21 hold the members 17and 19, passing through openings 23 with adequate clearance to preventconduction to the top 3 of base 1.

Located on the top of the insulation sheet 15 is a Ushaped conductivemember 25 having a relatively long leg 29 and a relatively short leg 27.In the long leg 29 is an opening 31 in or near which is a separatelymounted contact 33 carried upon a vertical support 35. This support isS-shaped, having upper limb 37 which carries the contact 33 and lowerlimb 39 which rests upon the upper insulation sheet 15. At this point asecond terminal 41 is located beneaththe lower insulation sheet 13.Conductive rivets 43 electrically join and fasten the members 41 and 35,passing through enlarged openings 45 in the ice top 3, so aselectrically to isolate said members 41 and 35 from the base 1.

At the upper end of the short leg 27 is located a tongue 47 extendingloosely through an opening 49 in a magnetic and conductive armature 51so as to produce a pivot for the latter. A conductive pigtail 53 mayjoin the leg 27 and armature 51, but this is optional. A tension coilspring 55 is anchored at one end to a tailpiece 57 on the armature 51,and at the other end to a portion 59 struck out from the leg 27. Tensionof the spring 55 biases the armature 51 clockwise (Figs. 1 and 6). Theother end of the armature 51 extends into the yoke formed by the opening31, near which the armature carries a contact 61. The upper end of theopening 31 is struck out as a stop 63 for limiting the clockwise orcontact-opening motion of the armature 51 (Figs. 1, 3 and 6). A sidewiseflange 65 extends downward from one side of the armature 51, to one sideand past the leg 29, carrying at its outer end a transverse stop 67.This flange 65 has a leaf spring 71 attached to it by means of a rivet69.

The plane of the spring 71 is essentially vertical. The spring alsopasses to one side and beyond the leg 29, where it is provided with apawl 73 which engages with the teeth 75 (six in number in the presentexample) of a ratchet 77. The ratchet 77 is part of a cylinder 79 havinga pintle 81. The pintle is rotary at one end in a bearing hole in leg 29and at the other end in a bearing hole in a brace 83 extending from andwelded to the leg 29 at 85. The cylinder 79 is provided with a fiat ornotch 87. The stop 67 is arranged to engage the circular part ofcylinder 79, or its flat 87, when the armature 51 is rotatedanticlockwise, depending upon the rotary position of theratchet-cylinder assembly. When the cylinder 79 is engaged, the contacts33 and 61 are prevented from engaging. When the stop 67 engages the flat87, the contacts 33 and 61 close. The end of a spring stop 89 isdesigned to engage the ratchet teeth 75 to prevent reverse ratchetmovement when the pawl 73 moves upward, being attached to a struck-outportion 91 of the leg 29.

At 93 is shown an electromagnetic coil wound about a magnetic core 95supported by the member 25. Extending from member 25 is a thirdconductive terminal 97. One end of the coil 93 is conductively connectedwith one of the rivets 21 and hence with terminal 17 (see wire 99). Itsother end is grounded to the terminal 97.

It will be apparent that the axis of rotation of the circular portion 79and ratchet 77 is perpendicular to the pivotal axis at 47, 49 betweenthe armature 51 and the leg 27. This simplifies the structure forlow-cost production because it thereby becomes a simple matter toconstruct the stop 67 and a pawl 73 near the contact end of the armature51.

In practice, the first or signal circuit has its terminals connected tothe terminalengaging elements 17 and 97. The second or afiected circuit(to be closed and opened) has its terminals attached to the lineterminals 41 and 97. The first circuit is presumed to have in it asuitable switch for energizing and deenergizing it at intervals. Whenenergized, current flows through the coil 93, thus attracting thearmature 51 toward the core 95 and moving the armature anticlockwisefrom the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6 toward the positionsshown in Figs. 4 and 5. The pawl 73 during movement of stop 67 againstcylinder 79 engages and drives one of the teeth 75 through one-sixth ofa turn (compare Figs. 3 and 4). In the position shown in Fig. 4, thestop 67 has engaged the cylinder 79, thereby limiting the downwardmovement of armature 51 so as to prevent closure of the contacts 33 and61. Then when the first circuit is deenergized, the armature 51 returnsto its initial position, such as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6.

Upon the next excitation of the first circuit, the pawl 73 picks up thenext tooth of the ratchet 77, thus advancing the fiat or notch 87 to ahorizontal position, so that the cylinder 79 does not interfere withadditional downward movement of the stop 67 (see Fig. .This allows thecontacts 33 and 61 to close, thus closing the second circuit forperforming whatever operation its excitation is designed to bring about.Again, when the first circuit is deenergized, the armature 51 willreturn to its initial position. Thereafter, it will require sixadditional excitations and deexcitations of the first circuit before thesecond circuit will be reclosed. Obviously this number is variable,depending upon the number of teeth of ratchet 77 for which the device isdesigned.

One advantage of the invention is that it requires only onemake-and-break operation of the first circuit in order to pass througheach event, regardless of whether it is one such as illustrated by Fig.4, or such as illustrated by Fig. 5.

The structure for carrying out the above ends is comparatively simpleand economical to manufacture, the ratchet with its notched cylinderbeing conveniently supported by the leg 29 and the stationary contact 33arranged adjacent the opening 31 in leg 29 with the contact 61 on theend of the armature 51. The latter conveniently extends through saidopening 31, the top of which acts as a convenient back stop to limitarmature opening. Moreover, when the end of the armature strikes 63, thetendency for the end to vibrate is damped. This distinguishes fromstructures in which the stop arrangement for the armature is provided atits end adjacent a leg such as 27. Also, the pawl 73 is located near theouter end of the armature 51, thus providing a substantial stroke whichwill carry it not only through a distance for partially advancingcontact 61 (Fig. 4), but also through a distance with overrun of thepawl with respect to the ratchet, so as to advance the contact 61 intoclosing position on contact 33 (see Fig. 5).

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

I claim:

1. A notching relay comprising an electromagnet wired into a firstcircuit, a pivoted armature extending transversely of the magnet, afixed contact, a contact on said armature, said contacts being in asecond circuit, a rotatable toothed ratchet including a circular portionhaving a notch, a pawl on the armature engageable with the teeth of theratchet and a stop on the armature normally engageable with saidcircular portion to limit movement of the armature in response toexcitation of the electromagnet to a position in which said contacts arenoncontacting, said notch being moved by said pawl upon successiveenergizations of said electromagnet to a position to allow sufiicientmovement of the armature upon excitation of the electromagnet to produceengagement between said contacts.

2. A notching relay made according to claim 1, including a stopengageable by a portion of the armature near the contact thereon adaptedto limit contact-opening movement.

3. A notching relay comprising a base, first and second legs extendingfrom said base and an electromagnet extending in substantially the samedirection therebetween andwired into a first circuit, the first one ofsaid legs having a yoke-forming opening, an armature pivoted to thesecond leg and extending transversely relative to the magnet and intosaid opening, a fixed contact adjacent the opening and a contact at theend of said armature also adjacent said opening, said contacts being ina second circuit, a rotatable toothed ratchet member including acircular portion having a notch and supported for rotation on said firstleg, a pawl and a stop on the armature, said pawl being engageable withthe teeth of the ratchet member and said stop being engageable with saidcircular portion to limit armature movement in response to excitation ofthe electromagnet to noncontacting positions of said contacts, saidratchet upon predetermined movement by said armature moving said notchopposite to said armature stop to allow sufiicient armature movement toeffect engagement of said contacts.

4. A notching relay made according to claim 3, wherein said openingthrough which extends the armature limits contact-opening movement ofthe latter.

5. A notching relay made according to claim 3, wherein the axis ofrotation of said circular portion is perpendicular to the pivotal axisof rotation of the armature.

6. A notching relay made according to claim 3, wherein said openingthrough which extends the armature limits contact-opening movement ofthe latter, and wherein the axis of rotation of said circular portion isperpendicular to the pivotal axis of rotation of the armature.

7. A notching relay comprising a base,,first and second legs extendingfrom said base. and an electromagnet extending in substantially the samedirection therebetween and wired into a first circuit, the first one ofsaid legs having a yoke-forming opening therethrough, an armaturepivoted to the second leg and extending transversely of the magnet andinto said opening, a fixed contact adjacent the opening and acontact atthe end of said armature also adjacent said opening, said contacts beingin a second circuit, a rotatable toothed ratchet member includingacircular portion having a notch and supported on the outside of saidfirst leg, a pawl on the armature beyond the opening engageable with theteeth of the ratchet and a stop thereon beyond the opening engageable.with said circular portion to limit movement of the armature in responseto excitation of the electromagnet to noncontacting positions of saidcontacts, said ratchet upon predetermined movement by said armaturemoving said notch opposite tosaid armature stop to allow sufiicientarmature movement to effect engagement of said contacts.

8. A notching relay made according to claim 7, wherein a portion of saidopening in the first leg is engageable with a portion of the armature tolimit contact-opening movement thereof.

9. A notching relay comprising an electromagnet, an armature movabletoward and away from the electromagnet upon energization anddeenergization thereof, a contact member engageable by the armature uponmovement thereof in one direction, a rotary stop engageable by thearmature upon movement thereof insaid one direction, means operable bythe armature for rotating the stop a fraction of a revolution upon eachstroke of the armature, said stop being formed so that throughout a partof each revolution thereof it limits movement of the armature to lessthan that required for engagement of the armature with the contactmember and during another part of each revolution it allows movement ofthe armature into engagement with the contact member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS507,206 Bogart Oct. 24, 1893 840,516 Rennert Ian. 8, 1907 1,780,612Anderson Nov; 4, 1930 2,494,520 Riggen Jan. 10, 1950 2,497,466 OlsonFeb. 14, 1950 2,547,998 Brockway Apr. 10,1951

